Making Sense
So-so indie sci-fi drama has heart, mature themes.
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Making Sense
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Making Sense is a low-budget indie science-fictional drama about a graduate student and an ex-professor trying to unlock the power of "sensory enlightenment." They surmise that when someone has lost a particular sense (taste, smell, sight, hearing, touch), sometimes that person experiences heightened sensory reception in one or more of the senses they do still have. They then surmise that if they get someone for each heightened sense and combine all their power, they may unlock the key to super human sensory capacities and/or abilities. Lots of people with disabilities were cast for the film, and many people with disabilities get lots of lines and screen time. There's a flash of a car crash memory, and a few startling moments when a man sees something or someone who isn't really there. An FBI agent draws a gun on a man walking away. A stepfather yells at a young woman at dinner. Some adults drink beer. A man references the '80s and then points to his nose and sniffles, implying that perhaps former cocaine use led to his loss of smell.
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What's the Story?
In MAKING SENSE, an ex-professor works with a graduate student (Jessi Melton) to try to unlock the power of the human mind. Specifically, the two want to open up human sensory experience to the full spectrum of sensory reality. But in order to do that, they need to conduct experiments that no university or government will approve of. So, with the FBI on their tail, they make one last push for a breakthrough, but at what cost?
Is It Any Good?
The first half of this tender indie drama is incredibly slow moving. The good news is that the second half of Making Sense is much better, snappier, exciting, and interesting. It feels like a simple case of poor pacing, poorly sequenced plotting, and some cringe-inducing dialogue. The acting is hit and miss, the timing of the editing isn't always smooth, and there are more than a handful of odd images or scenes that appear without setup or framing. The latter offense is small, as these moments do make sense later, but when they happen, it's a bit confusing and jarring. Also, an '80s soundtrack accompanies the film for seemingly no reason, despite the movie being set in the present.
The tone of the film is soft and melodramatic, but its second part does just about save it, even though it feels like other plot lines would need to be created to stretch out the story beyond a Twilight Zone-esque episode worth of material. The only other curiosity is why the film cast two seemingly nondisabled actors for the two main leads, who take up most of the screen time of the film, but this is a small curiosity given how prominently the film features people with disabilities.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about exploring the human mind in science fiction movies. What do you think about the premise of Making Sense? What are some positives interpretations? What might be some negative interpretations?
Given that the theme of this film directly has to do with people with disabilities, do you think the representation of disabled people is respectful? How so, or how not?
What do you think happened to Dr. Amberger at the end of the movie? Is this a happy or sad ending? Why?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: April 6, 2021
- Cast: Jessi Melton, Richard Klautsch, Justin Ness, Makenzie Ellsworth
- Director: Gregory Bayne
- Studio: Freestyle Digital Media
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Run time: 84 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: December 7, 2022
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